Elementary New Testament Greek, 2014a

Exercises
I. Short Answer
1) In what three different voices may Greek verbs be found? What does each
generally suggest?
2) What kind of verbs can be converted into passives?
3) When a sentence is converted from active to passive form, what happens to
the (original) Direct Object?
4) What four different kinds of transitive sentences are there? Identify them
with English examples.
5) When verbs in Sentence-types 3 and 4 (see question 4 above) are made
passive, how do they resemble copulative verbs?
6) What three reasons did we consider for using the passive voice (when the
active is available)?
7) In the GNT, who is likely the agent of many passive verbs though the agent
remains unexpressed?
8) In passive constructions, how are agents expressed?
9) In the Present Indicative, what forms does the Middle Voice take?
10) How common is it to encounter a “true” Middle in the GNT?
11) What is a Deponent Verb?
James the president. (4) Direct Object with (Adjective) Predicate Accusative: John made James
uncomfortable.
5) They resemble copulative verbs (equation verbs) in that they are completed by a Predicate
Nominative.
6) Stylistic variation. Focus on something other than the agent (with various motives possible). The
Agent is obvious.
7) God [frequently called the “divine passive”].
8) Personal Agents are expressed as the Genitive Objects of . Impersonal Means are found in the
Dative, usually without a preposition.
9) They share the forms of the passive. One must appeal to other factors to tell how to distinguish the
two.
10) Not common at all. Most Middle/Passive forms will be Passives or Deponents.
11) A verb with Middle/Passive endings that must be translated actively.
II. Drills with Passives
Increase your skill with passive verbs (along with Personal Agents and Impersonal
Means) with these pairs of mirrored sentences. Personal pronouns are overly used in
order to be as helpful as possible.
1) μ. μ .
2) .
.
3) .
.
4) μ. μ μ
.
5) μ. μ .
6) μ .
μ
Solutions to Exercise I
1) The Active: subject is performing the action. The Middle: subject is somehow portrayed as more
intimately involved in the action. The Passive: subject is being acted upon.
2) Only transitive verbs: verbs taking direct objects.
3) It usually becomes the Subject of the passive verb.
4) (1) Simple Direct Object: John is building a house. (2) Direct Object with Indirect Object: John
is sending the letter to Wilma. (3) Direct Object with (Noun) Predicate Accusative: John made
9: Active, Middle, Passive Voices
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